Wireless Networks in Greece

Wireless networks are a new trend in Greece and have been set up in all major Greek cities. They are run by private individuals using their own equipment and know-how, who have taken advantage of the unrestricted 2.4 GHz wavelength to create wireless networks with the main aim of exchanging internal information.

These exceptional efforts have contributed to the development of broadband infrastructure and broadband itself in Greece.

All major cities including Athens, Thessaloniki, Patras, Xanthi, Larissa, Kozani, Volos, Kavala, Serres and Heraklion have public wireless networks (the sites aren’t up in English yet).

Wi - fi in Athens City

In the centre of Athens, specifically in Syntagma Square, the Thission and Kotzia Square, operates the Public Wireless Internet Access Network - Athens Wi - Fi.

The Athens Wi - Fi network offers free pilot broadband internet access for all, as part of efforts to familiarise the public with wireless technologies and the Internet. It officially started operation in June 2006, covering the wider area of Syntagma Square, and was extended to the area of the Thission (Ap. Pavlos pedestrian zone, Asomaton, Thission ISAP Electric Railway stop) and Kotzia Square in early September 2007. Already, in the first year of operation in Syntagma Square, over 40,000 connections have been made, while over 8,000 citizens have used the network to get online, transferring over 2 TB of data.

Every citizen can connect to the Internet for free at any time of day and enjoy wireless broadband access through their laptop, sitting on a bench or at a local café. Access is very simple: just select SSID Athens Wi - Fi in Network Connections and type in the number which appears on your browser screen the first time you try to access a webpage. The Wi-fi connection speed is very fast, while the capacity of each area’s Internet connection is 4Mbps (OTEnet). The network will operate until the end of 2008, as part of efforts to familiarise the public with broadband.